


Golden Days

by rockinthebeastmode



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 14:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16934859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockinthebeastmode/pseuds/rockinthebeastmode
Summary: Rae and Finn find an old picture of their parents. Inspired by Golden Days by Panic! at the Disco.





	Golden Days

**Author's Note:**

> Includes OCs from Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, A Nelson Halloween and Runaway.

Business was slow at Town Records today and Rae and Finn were taking full advantage of it.

“Finn, we have to stop,” Rae giggled, pulling at his hand making its way up her shirt, “I have to get back to work.”

Finn shot her a look before lowering his face to her neck, pressing kisses into her skin.

“What work? It’s just us here,” he mumbled against her throat before biting down, Rae moaning lowly in his ear.

She pushed at his shoulders and he frowned with a grunt, leaning away. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped and turned when the bell above the door rang. Rae’s eyes widened and she stepped back from Finn’s embrace, her arms crossing across her chest.

“Hiya, Dad,” she warbled, glancing at Finn as Victor Earl stepped inside, a crate full of records in his arms. Finn raised his brows at her before putting his arm around her waist, the two facing Victor as he reached the counter.

“Rachel,” he greeted, smiling a bit before he looked at Finn curiously, “and this is…”

“Finn Nelson, sir,” he cut in, holding a hand out to shake. Victor barely looked at it, only nodding with his lips pursed.

“You’re Gary’s son, aren’t you?”

Finn’s brow lowered and he nodded, exchanging glances with Rae.

“You know him?”

Victor half-shrugged with a small smirk.

“We all knew each other back in the day,” he said simply, “Small town and all.” He gestured at the crate, looking at Rae, “I’m just dropping these off, love. Tell your mum I said hello, yeah?”

With that he smiled at the two and turned to leave, Rae shaking her head after him.

“Such a prick,” she murmured. She flipped through the records, her nose wrinkling at them. Finn scoffed from beside her.

“Well, these are shit,” he drawled, lifting one from the bunch. Something fell from the sleeve onto the floor and Finn bent down to get it.

“What is it?”

Finn held up a faded Polaroid picture and the two stood closer to look at it.

“That’s my mum and dad,” Rae started, squinting at the photo, “Is that your dad in the back? With the blonde?”

Finn nodded, his mouth twisting.

“That’s Stacey’s mum with him,” he said before pointing at another blonde at the other side of the picture, “ _That’s_  my mum…with Archie’s parents.”

“Wow…look at how young they all were,” she marveled, her eyes running over her parents faces.

They had their arms around each other, Linda just barely smiling at the camera. Victor grinned around a cigarette, his face turned to something off to the side. Her eyes strayed to the others and she nudged Finn.

“Like father, like son, aye?” she teased, pointing out Gary’s leather jacket and long hair.

Finn scrunched his nose at her but smiled. He looked over his father’s smirk, his body leaning into the blonde’s with his arm above her head. At the other side of the room, his mum had her gaze locked on Archie’s dad, the two beaming at each other as they talked. Archie’s mum had her arms wrapped around her protruding belly, her teeth set into her lip as she faced the two.

“What d’ya reckon happened that night?” he asked, meeting Rae’s eyes as she shrugged.

“Dunno…s’pose I could ask Mum,” she replied, taking the picture and shoving it in her pocket before wrapping her arms around Finn’s neck with a devious grin, “Now, where were we?”

***

“Mum? Could I ask you about something?”

Rae didn’t think mentioning her father was a good idea, given Linda’s hormonal tendencies even with her and the baby home from hospital but she was so curious about the picture they’d found.

“Finn and I found this at the shop…” she trailed off as she held the picture out to Linda. Her brows raised as soon as she set eyes on it, her lips lifting into a sad smile.

“I remember this…”she began, her eyes moving around the shot, “This was a party Simon Evans threw after all of our last exams were done. It was a special night because–” she stopped abruptly, waving Rae to the living room, “We’d better sit, it’s a long story.”

Rae followed her mum to the next room and sat beside her on the lounge, Linda’s hands clasping in front of her. She gave a small sigh before handing the picture back to Rae.

“Your father and I hadn’t been going together for long, only for our second year of college. I was mad for him but wasn’t sure we were going to stay together after school ended and we all went our separate ways.”

Rae nodded, her brow wrinkling. She pointed at the others in the picture.

“Finn mentioned his and Archie’s parents were there.” Linda nodded, a small chuckle emerging.

“Ann was maybe… six months pregnant with Archie and I believe Finn was just a baby, probably at home with Gary’s mum,” she said before shaking her head, “God, what a mess we were all in…”

At Rae’s look of confusion, Linda closed her eyes and shook her head a bit.

“I’ll start at the beginning. It was the summer of 1979…”

***   
  
 _Linda Smith blinked rapidly after the flash went off, stepping out of Victor’s arms a moment later. Her arms wrapped around herself as she breathed deep, her rapidly growing nausea and the bright light making her head spin. She vaguely saw the picture being handed to Victor before he faced her, smoke flowing from his lips as he exhaled. He held the cigarette away from them when Linda grimaced._

_“Y’alright, love?” he asked, his eyes moving from her face to his mates across the room. He raised a hand to them and she repressed an eye roll before nodding and starting to walk away._

_“I’m fine…be back in a tic.”_

_She made her way through the crowd of their classmates to the short line in front of the loo, her hand rubbing her stomach as she leaned against the wall. As she waited, she glanced to her side to see Gary Nelson cornering Felicity Stringfellow against the wall down the hall. Gary’s smirk never faltered, even as Felicity pushed at his chest, shaking her head but giggling._

_“C’mon, Feli, don’t be like that,” he urged, his arm held over Felicity’s head. She bit her lip but grasped the lapels of his leather jacket. She raised her brows at him before nodding across the room._

_“What would your wife say?” she stressed, Gary groaning under his breath and moving to block her view of Jenny._

_“Don’t think on it, girl, just come with me,” he quipped, his smirk widening as Felicity began to crack. She spared Jenny one more glance before nodding quickly and Gary wrapped an arm around her neck, the two starting down the hall._

_Linda and Gary met eyes as they passed, his brow raising at her and she looked away hastily, clearing her throat. The two disappeared into a room just as heavily pregnant Ann Davis waddled towards the line. Linda smiled at her as she approached._

_“Alright?” Linda asked, Ann blowing out a breath with an easy grin._

_“Yeah, I’m okay,” she replied, her eyes leaving Linda’s to her boyfriend Richard Harris and his best mate Jennifer Nelson (née Porter). They stood close, beaming at each other as they spoke. Ann crossed her arms over her stomach as Jenny put her hand on Ritchie’s arm._

_“Y’know they’re just mates, Annie,” Linda offered, linking their arms. Ann tried a smile and they both watched Ritchie and Jenny for a moment._

_“Those three have always been inseparable,” she grumbled under her breath, Linda nodding but biting her cheek as she thought of Gary leading Felicity away from the party. Ann shook her head and squeezed Linda’s arm, wiggling her brows at her._

_“How are you and Victor? Think you’ll tie the knot soon?”_

_Linda barked a nervous laugh, patting Ann’s arm._

_“I swear, you talk more random than duck shite sometimes,” she teased before shrugging, “Who knows…”_

_“He really loves you, Lin,” Ann started, their gazes going to Victor and his mates, “even if he doesn’t always show it.” They watched as Victor regaled the group with an exuberant story, a lit spliff in his hand._

_“S’pose you’re right,” Linda sighed with a faint smile, breaking away from Ann as the line moved, “I’ll see you later.”_

_Linda closed the door behind her, her stomach rolling as she locked it. She gagged and rushed forward, kneeling in front of the toilet just as bile rose up her throat._

_When her stomach was emptied and her head pounded slightly, she slowly stood and shuffled in front of the mirror. She splashed water on her face and neck, taking deep breaths as she stood straight and faced her reflection. Her forehead wrinkled as she took in her smudged mascara and reddened nose, her lipstick all but gone. She closed her eyes as another wave of nausea came over her and bit back tears._

_“It’s okay…you’re okay…it’ll be okay,” she mumbled wearily before rinsing her mouth out and reapplying her makeup. She smiled at Ann as she left the loo, rubbing her arm as she passed. She made her way towards Victor but someone grabbed her hand, stepping into her path._

_“Simon, hi,” she said, pulling her hand gently from his grip, “Nice party.” He grinned, giving her a once over._

_“Looking good, Lins…Earl’s a lucky lad,” he leered, moving a step closer. Linda frowned and crossed her arms, his chest hitting them. He leaned in and she could smell the whiskey on his breath._

_“You’re completely pissed,” she sighed, trying to move past him. He grabbed her hand again and she glared at him, ripping it away. He sneered, his head tilting._

_“Why’re you still going with Earl anyways? You know he’ll never settle down,” he taunted, Linda’s glare worsening. She glanced at Victor to see him raising a shot glass and tilting it into his mouth._

_“Who else would I go with? You?” she scoffed, shoving him away, “Fuck off, Simmy.”_

_He only laughed behind her and she rolled her eyes, her mouth twisting in disgust. She reached Victor as he finished his story, the group surrounding him erupting in raucous laughter. He barely looked at her, his grin faltering when he felt her hand on his arm._

_“I need to talk to you,” she said, leaning close to his ear. He wrapped an arm around her waist and met her eyes, his smile dropping into a petulant smirk._

_“Can it wait, babe? I’m kinda in the middle of it,” he answered, raising his brows. She scowled, her lip curling at the smoke and booze on his breath._

_“No, right now,” she snapped, his mates hooting and whistling at her tone. Victor reddened and waved them off, leading Linda away and out the back door. He lit up a cigarette and grasped her hands, pulling her closer. She grimaced and turned her face away, Victor’s brow furrowing._

_“The fuck are you on tonight?” he groused, his cigarette bobbing between his lips. Linda’s lips flattened and she met his eyes, her stomach flipping._

_“I have to tell you something,” she said quietly, Victor nodding and impatiently gesturing for her to continue, “I’m pregnant.”_

_Victor froze, his eyes widening and the cigarette dropping from his mouth. He coughed in the lingering smoke and backed up a step, staying silent. Linda crossed her arms, huffing before biting her lip._

_“Christ, say something, Victor.”_

_He seemed to come back to himself, shaking his head. His mouth parted but it took him a few moments to speak._

_“I…how?” he croaked, Linda chuckling incredulously._

_“What d’ya mean ‘how’?” she retorted, Victor standing quiet and still, “I didn’t knock myself up!”_

_“Calm down,” he hissed, his eyes shooting to the door as her voice rose. He stepped closer to her and held her elbows, trying to pull her away from the house._

_“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Linda fumed, her hands raising to his chest. She pushed him away and his expression darkened, his teeth gritting. Inside the door, people nearby quieted, their eyes finding the two._

_“You’re embarrassing me, Linda,” he protested, her eyes cutting and hands clenching into fists._

_“Piss off, Victor,” she swore loudly, storming away from the house to the street. He groaned behind her and called out but she kept speed, he and the house growing farther away._

_Linda wasn’t sure how long she walked but when she came across the park, she went to the nearest bench and dropped to it, bending forward at the waist and bringing her head between her legs. Her hands went through her hair, clasping at the back of her neck and she choked back sobs, her breath short and her heart beating wildly. When she managed a few deep breaths, she sat up straight, her palms pressing into her damp eyes._

_She quieted in the darkness, letting the night sounds wash over her as her hands went to her stomach, her eyes squeezing shut as she ran them over the slight bump. The silence broke with the sound of boots scuffing the pavement and she opened her eyes to Victor stumbling towards her, a hand running through his hair. She inhaled sharply when he sat next to her, his hand going to her cheek and swiping at unbidden tears. Their eyes met and Victor’s brow lowered, his mouth set ruefully._

_“Y’alright?” he whispered, his fingers running along her cheek. She tried a smile and nodded and he leaned into her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his face into her neck. Her arms circled his neck and she brought a hand through his hair, her eyes raising to the sky full of stars as she suppressed her cries. He nuzzled into her skin before bringing his mouth to her ear, his arms tightening._

_“I love you,” he murmured, the words slightly slurred. Linda felt one final tear fall as she smiled wider and whispered back._

_“I love you too.”_

***

“And that was it.”

Rae’s brow raised as she shook her head, a disappointed pout forming.

“Dad was a dickhead even back then, huh,” Rae sighed, Linda laughing softly and raising her hands.

“Yeah, I s’pose he was,” she replied. Rae took her hands and tilted her head towards the window.

“We turned out alright, though.”

Linda followed Rae’s gaze outside where Karim was holding their newborn girl, bouncing her on his hip as he babbled to her in French. She grinned and nodded, tears pricking the back of her eyes and she linked arms with Rae. The two sat close in comfortable silence, Linda pressing a kiss to her head just as the doorbell rang.

“That’ll be Finn,” Rae trilled, breaking away from Linda to go to the door. She turned back when she reached the stairs, her lips quirking in concern.

“Y’alright, mum?”

Linda nodded, waving her off with a smile. When Rae turned to the door, Linda took the picture from the table, looking it over once more. She gave her and Victor a final glance before ripping the picture in half and tossing it in the rubbish bin. She went to the back door as Rae and Finn jogged up the stairs to her room and she yelled out before going outside.

“Leave the door open, you two!”


End file.
